Israel’s foreign minister said Israeli warplanes struck suspected chemical weapons facilities in Syria.
Gideo Sa’ar said they attacked the sites so they wouldn’t fall into the ‘hands of extremists’.
During a press briefing, Sa’ar mentioned that Israel’s actions were precautionary and targeted ‘strategic weapons systems.’ A high-ranking Israeli official stated that airstrikes would continue over the coming days, as reported by The Times of Israel.
Israeli planes have bombed at least three major Syrian army air bases that housed dozens of helicopters and jets near Damascus.
Qamishli airbase in northeast Syria, Shinshar base in Homs and Aqaba airport southwest of the capital were all hit.
Israel also launched strikes on a research centre on the outskirts and a centre for electronic warfare near the Sayeda Zainab area.
Israel told the United Nations that it is involved in ‘limited’ actions in Syria after the fall of al-Assad’s regime.
Israeli forces positioned themselves in a buffer zone within Syria close to the Golan Heights, aiming to establish a protective barrier. Recent Israeli air attacks heavily targeted military structures in the region.
The Israeli foreign minister confirmed that Israeli fighter jets had bombed suspected chemical weapons sites in Syria. The image shows smoke billowing after airstrikes in Damascus.
Gideo Sa’ar said they attacked the sites so they wouldn’t fall into the ‘hands of extremists’
Israeli troops are seen near the buffer zone in the Golan Heights
Iran has condemned Israel’s ‘repeated violations of Syrian infrastructure’ and seizure of Syrian land.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel for almost 60 years, would perpetually remain part of Israel.
His comment came as criticism grew after Israel’s takeover of a buffer zone along its border with Syria.
Speaking at a press conference in Jerusalem, Netanyahu thanked US President-elect Donald Trump for recognising Israel’s 1981 annexation of the territory during his first term and said ‘the Golan will be part of the State of Israel for eternity’.
Israel captured most of the mountainous plateau from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and has occupied it ever since, repelling a Syrian attempt at reconquest in the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.
Netanyahu said Israeli control of the high ground ‘ensures our security and sovereignty’.
Over the weekend, he ordered troops to move into a UN-patrolled buffer zone – on the east of the Israeli-annexed Golan – after Islamist-led rebels toppled president Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
The United Nations and Israel’s neighbours denounced the move, with a UN spokesman on Monday saying Israel’s actions were ‘a violation’ of the 1974 disengagement agreement between Israel and Syria.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said seizure of the buffer zone confirms ‘Israel’s continued violation of the rules of international law, and its determination to sabotage Syria’s chances of restoring its security, stability and territorial integrity.’
People walk next to closed shops during curfew, after Syrian rebels announced that they have ousted Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus
People warm by the fire as they gather at Sednaya prison in Damascus looking for loved ones
An opposition fighter steps on a broken bust of the late Syrian President Hafez Assad
Netanyahu said on Sunday that the collapse of the Assad government and the Syrian army abandoning its posts had invalidated the agreement.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Monday said the takeover of the buffer zone was ‘a limited and temporary step we took for security reasons.’
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller voiced understanding of Israel’s actions which, he said, ‘are not permanent’ and ‘ultimately, what we want to see is lasting stability between Israel and Syria, and that means we support all sides upholding the 1974 disengagement agreement.’
Israel’s incursion into Syria beyond the Golan Heights following Bashar al-Assad’s overthrow must only be ‘temporary,’ the United States said Monday, after the United Nations said Israel was violating a 1974 deal.
‘This is a temporary action that they have taken in response to actions by the Syrian military to withdraw from that area. Now, what we want to see, ultimately, is that agreement fully upheld, and we’ll watch to see that Israel does that,’ State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.
Asked if the United States was calling on its ally to pull out, Miller said the agreement reached after the 1973 Yom Kippur War ‘includes Israel’s withdrawing to its previous position.’
He declined to set a timetable, pointing to the fast-changing situation on the ground in Syria.
‘Israel has said that these actions are temporary to defend its borders. These are not permanent actions, and so ultimately, what we want to see is lasting stability between Israel and Syria, and that means we support all sides upholding the 1974 disengagement agreement,’ Miller said.
